Lesson 6: Men and dogs are not that different when in heat
by thirteenchrysanthemums
Summary: Sadaharu learns that a true owner will never let someone trash-talk their pet.


**So I changed my penname. Turns out I wasn't the only yourstruly247 around and I was recently confused with the other yourstruly247s. The only yourstruly247 accounts that are mine are the deviantart and THIS fanfiction one. The yourstruly247 twitter, blogspot, ebay, sexstories, myspace, socialblade, youtube, etc. accounts are not mine.**

 **To avoid this mixup in the future, I've changed my penname.**

 **Just want to give a quick shoutout to mitsuki, i love okikagu, lu89, mi-chan, and every guest reviewer that I failed to mention. Thank you for your reviews! I may not reply them but I really do appreciate the effort on your parts to comment, be it positive or negative. Love you guys to the moon and back :)**

 **And while I'm at it, thanks everyone for reading my stuff and giving me feedback. Bless your souls.**

* * *

A sense of smell tells a canine many things.

For example, the bitter stench of old man mixed with rust is all Sadaharu needs to confirm the presence of the Yorozuya boss. To be fair, during certain times of the day he sometimes radiates an excessively sugary stench while at odd hours of the night he reeks of hobo piss. Despite this, the Inugami has always been able to recognise Gintoki. No matter how toxic the perm-head scent, that old man smell never leaves him.

On the other hand, Shinpachi does not have as much variety in his odour. Wherever the bespectacled adult goes he leaves a scent-trail of cheap plastic in his wake, as though he himself was made in China. To be fair the glasses-stand himself smells like dishwashing liquid: it's just a shame that the glasses overpower him both in terms of personality and scent.

No fragrance, however, is as familiar and treasured as that of his beloved redheaded master. Perhaps due to their constant proximity, Sadaharu can discern the Yato's fruity aroma from miles away. At first she smelt like oranges — most likely because of how often she'd stuff them down her blouse — but as time passed the scent was eventually replaced with strawberries and cream. In fact, the canine recently noticed how Kagura smells strangely similar to the frozen desserts her foster father inhales. Nevertheless — regardless of whether she smells like sukonbu, dango, or strawberries — her scent will always be familiar to Sadaharu.

So when she strolls into the Yorozuya household one fine evening, carrying peculiar traces of steel and musk in her fragrance, Sadaharu _knows_ something is up. And like the loyal companion he is, he will not rest until assured of his master's safety.

* * *

The next day is one of those that makes the Inugami want to roll around in the grass and bear his tummy to the sky. With the sun emitting a gentle glow and the breeze just strong enough to make you want to bask in the sunlight — but not strong enough to be chilly — Sadaharu's afternoon walk is almost as perfect as he could ever imagine it to be.

Almost.

"What a beautiful day," the man beside him drones, his tone instantly causing irritation to swell in the canine. "Too bad I have to spend it with an overgrown mutt."

Sadaharu barks as if to say _'likewise'_. Nobody wants a middle-aged loser hanging around them on any day, let alone a day like this. Walking with Gintoki lacks all the fun and entertainment that walking with Kagura has: the old man doesn't want to play with him or let him hit on pretty bitches. Plus, whenever he sees a woman walking a dog the Inugami is forced to hang out with it while the old geezer tries and fails to chat the ladies up. And the unfortunate woman's mutt always happens to be repulsive.

"Even after all these years that brat is still the same," he whines, tugging lightly on the leash. "Gin-san is getting too old to babysit giant dogs."

Having tired of the man sounding like a broken record with his age-old complaints Sadaharu stomps towards Gintoki, placing his oversized paws on the man's shoulders. Before the latter can react the canine's mouth engulfs his entire head, effectively swallowing his words mid-sentence.

"…This was bound to happen sooner or later…" His words echo in the dog's massive cavern.

As Sadaharu relishes in his victim's torture, he picks up a familiar trace of strawberries in the wind. Without hesitation he chases after the invisible trail, eyes desperately scanning the crowds for a mop of red hair as he sprints.

"Oiiii! You're ripping my head off!"

Releasing his teeth from the man's head (if only to cease his caterwauling) the Inugami rounds the corner to a district littered with dango shops, leaving his walking partner in the dust. Kagura is close by, he can feel it! Soon he'll find her stuffing her face with her princess friend and she'll let him play with her! Soon he won't have to be around that good for nothing bum anymore! His tail wags with glee, his afternoon is getting better already!

Slowing down to a walk Sadaharu's snout tingles: with every step the fruity fragrance grows stronger. Closing his eyes he channels all his focus into his nose, sniffing the air for where her scent is the strongest. Legs automatically following the path his nose leads him to, when he finds the source of the smell he opens his eyes and pants in excitement. She's her—

"Oh. It's you."

His grin immediately transforms into a snarl as he lowers his head, flattening his ears in an obvious display of aggression. A learned behaviour from his master, no doubt.

If that's the case, however, then why does he feel especially on edge this time?

"Souichirou-kun!"

"It's Sougo." The flaxen-haired officer's response is automatic.

"Fancy meeting you here." Shouldering his way past strangers Gintoki manages to anchor his position beside the aggravated canine, ruffling the top of his head affectionately. Sadaharu bites his hand, chewing on it distractedly as he eyes the policeman with unconcealed suspicion.

"Why are _you_ walking him Danna?" The man in question runs his free hand through his wavy locks, agitation written across his features.

"Because the brat is too busy hanging out with the princess to take care of her own pets." He grumbles like an overprotective parent. "She's been out all morning, it was almost 4 when I left to walk this mongrel and she still wasn't home."

"She told you she was hanging out with the princess?" For a second the captain appears confused, and then realisation settles in. Sadaharu — who has been watching him the whole time — tilts his head at the odd behaviour.

"What's it to you?"

Sougo shrugs nonchalantly, pulling off a facade of indifference convincing enough for the Odd Jobs boss to buy.

Unfortunately for him, the same cannot be said for his companion.

If he wasn't a dog god, Sadaharu wouldn't have been able to hear the younger man's heartbeat speed up a notch. However, not only does he hear Sougo's heart rate pick up, he senses his anxiety to accompany it. Sniffing at the air, he doesn't know whether to be surprised or not to find the scent of strawberries still very apparent.

His intuition tells him that this is definitely not a coincidence.

A series of barks and growls disrupt the conversation as he tries to convey his suspicions to his surrogate owner. Gintoki tries to talk over the mutt, only to have the latter bark even louder in response to being ignored. The freelancer turns to address his pet, deadfish eyes staring intensely at the furry companion. A silent conversation transpires between man and dog. Having come to a conclusion, Gintoki slowly turns back to assess the officer, eyes narrowed.

Sougo — well aware of the sudden change in atmosphere — does his best to uphold his nonchalant image but at this point it is too late. Sadaharu can taste the man's nervousness without even trying and by the looks of it, so can the shiroyasha.

After scrutinising Sougo for what seems like an eternity Gintoki finally leans towards him, a deadpan expression set upon his face.

"Wanna walk him for the rest of the day? I'll give you 300 yen."

* * *

"Sadaharuuu and Kagura's adventures~~" the redhead sings, ignoring the cringing of bystanders. Kagura smiles broadly at her companion, releasing her hold on his leash as she runs off. "Let's go Sadaharu!"

Sadaharu bark an enthusiastic reply, chasing after his beloved master with a spring in his step. Yesterday's afternoon stroll with the cantankerous loafer has made him realise just how lucky he is to have this amanto as his walking companion, tone-deaf and all. With Kagura, he can play as much as he wants and even hit on other female pups. No matter what he does, she has always supported him one hundred percent. With a slight shudder, he recalls a particular afternoon where she dressed up as a dog to be his wing-woman.

"Bet you can't catch me!" she chirps, looking back at the Inugami as she runs. Sadaharu barks, sharing a look of unadulterated glee with the Yato before shifting his focus behind her, struck by the realisation that she's about to crash head first into—

"Ouch!" Kagura exclaims, the side of her head colliding with something sharp. Two hands settle on her waist, holding her in place before she could fall backwards from impact. A threatening growl tears through Sadaharu's lips when he spies a familiar mop of sandy-brown behind the woman. Displeasure clearly written across the latter's face, he watches as his walking partner curls her fingers into a fist and moves to execute a swift uppercut on her molester.

"Get your hands awa—"

"I should arrest you for disturbing the peace."

Much to the canine's confusion, Kagura halts mid-swing at the familiar monotone. Her cerulean gaze briefly scans the thinning crowd before turning dramatically to the man holding her. When her eyes connect with her rival's, Sadaharu tenses in anticipation, expecting his master's violent tendencies to return tenfold.

Only, it doesn't.

"What's wrong China?" Sougo smirks at the woman in his arms, running his fingers up and down her sides teasingly. "Shocked into silence by my good looks?"

Observing the redhead's catatonic state, a surge of protectiveness pulses through the dog god's veins. Ignoring everything around him, his focus is entirely trained on his precious amanto and that bastard human. Releasing a feral snarl, Sadaharu bares his teeth at the man holding his beloved master captive, promising him nothing short of torture by his paw. When the officer meets his glare head-on, it takes all of the canine's self-control to not pounce on him right there and then. After all, Kagura's in the way and the last thing he wants is for her to get hurt.

So when Sougo tightens his grip on the Yato almost _possessively_ , telling her to "Give that dog a rabies shot", that is the last straw.

However, as fate would have it, Sadaharu isn't the one who snaps.

"Don't you DARE insult Sadaharu!" Kagura slams her forehead into her rival's face with a brute force that sends him flying into a park bench, demolishing it to shreds. She charges towards the policeman, killing intent magnified with every step she takes.

Now that she has returned back to herself, Sadaharu feels relief flood through his system. Hackles subconsciously smoothening out, the overgrown dog relaxes his expression into his default smile with his tongue lolling out. He seats himself, watching the pair deliver and dodge blows with extraordinary dexterity. Experience has taught him that these spars always take a substantial amount of time to finish, so he might as well get comfortable.

Sniffing the air out of boredom, his brows furrow when he catches wind of a disturbingly familiar scent. Closing his eyes he focuses his attention on identifying the aroma, only to find traces of steel and musk being carried through the breeze.

He tilts his head.

' _That's odd… didn't Kagura-chan come home smelling like that two days ago…"_

Black eyes shoot open. Eying the flaxen-haired man as he narrowly avoids being pulverised by Kagura's umbrella, Sadaharu thinks back to yesterday's surprise encounter with the first division captain, recalling how the smell of strawberries lingered on his body. It takes the Inugami a few moments to put two and two together but when he does, he face palms at his own stupidity.

They were sparring in secret!

It all makes sense now. The other day when Kagura came back fatigued and smelling just like her rival, she must have finished battling him only moments before then. The heavy feeling in Sadaharu's heart dissipates in light of this discovery: there was nothing for him to worry about anymore, his master was only pursuing her rivalry off screen.

Sadaharu's musings are momentarily broken by the clunk of weapons being haphazardly thrown against a tree as the pair unspokenly decide on hand-to-hand combat. Trotting over to the purple umbrella he lays down on his belly beside it, keeping guard over the items as he observes the young adults wrestling each other on the freshly-cut grass.

If all they've been doing is sparring in private, why the secrecy? Surely the old man and the glasses-stand wouldn't mind if Kagura wanted to fight Sougo in her own spare time? They didn't need to worry about her safety, from what Sadaharu has seen of their spars, she almost always got the upper hand.

Like right now, for instance. It's clear as day that she's overpowering her human rival. Sougo looks like he can barely defend himself with the way he's helplessly raised his arms to protect himself from her endless barrage of punches. Not once does Kagura let up on her assault, screaming a string of curses at the man below her. Yet he doesn't seem to even bother retaliating against the lady straddling him, appearing more amused than annoyed at their situation.

In that instant Sadaharu cannot help but be reminded of cubs when they play-fight, recalling how male puppies purposely let females win so that they'll continue to play with them. He frowns to himself as longing stirs in his belly: despite being a dog god he too had a rather normal pup-hood and, like most adults, he too misses the good old days from time to time.

"W-what are you doing? Get off of me Sadist!" Kagura's shaky voice breaks his reverie. Eyes flitting back to the pair, Sadaharu barks disapprovingly at their new position. At some point during his brief monologue Sougo managed to flip their positions, pinning her down with his weight. While the canine has no issue with them wrestling, he _does_ have a problem with the human passionately kissing Kagura's neck.

"Didn't you hear me?" his owner stutters out between gasps, moaning when her rival's teeth clamp down on a particularly sensitive spot above her left collarbone, arching her back unconsciously. Sougo pauses his ministrations, lips hovering over the column of her throat as his hooded gaze connects with that of the enraged Inugami.

"I'm marking you as _mine_." he growls, a possessive gleam in his eye as he goes back to nibbling on her skin.

Sadaharu stands on all fours, ready to pummel the molester into the ground when another scent wafts into his snout. With the mixture of strawberries and musk already prevalent this new fragrance is more subtle, hiding beneath the layers of the other odours.

It almost smells like…

"But people will see!"

… _arousal?_

For a second time, everything clicks. This time, however, no questions are left unanswered. His master's sneaking around, the captain's odd behaviour, the intertwining of their scents. As he observes the couple: noting Sougo's physical dominance and Kagura's half-hearted resistance, Sadaharu comes to the conclusion that all organisms behave similarly when in heat.

He just hopes that mating between different species doesn't have any side effects.

A bubble of laughter erupts from his owner's lips as her rival's fingers brush against her sides. Sadaharu's tail thumps the floor at the beautiful sound, before his ears pick up harsh whispers from elsewhere. Turning to the source of the noise, he notices with a bitter feeling the disgusted stares of bystanders as they leer at the pair's public displays of affection. Trots towards the passers by the canine doesn't hesitate to bare his teeth at them, watching with satisfaction as they scurry away in fear, too worried for their own lives to continue judging the couple.

He may not approve of her partner, but as long as being with him makes her happy he will protect the source of Kagura's happiness.

* * *

"Thank you Sadaharu, for getting rid of those asshats and being so patient. I'm sorry that you had to hear such words from the Sadist."

He nuzzles Kagura in reply, relishing in her delighted squeals as he licks her face affectionately.

The sun is gradually setting behind the horizon, painting the sky a warm orange as it departs. Crowds dissolve, getting sparser by the minute as most individuals have already return to their abodes, eager to be in the safety of their homes before nighttime approaches. Breezes grow harsher and Kagura feels the stinging cold as it seeps into her bones.

Noticing her discomfort her companion walks closer, letting her absorb some of the warmth radiated from his furry coat.

"Don't worry too much alright?" she tenderly strokes the underside of his belly. "If the Sadist hurts me you can have him for dinner!"

"Arf!"

He stops at a cardboard box, sniffing around it for a good few seconds before looking at his owner. "We almost missed your toilet!" Kagura smirks, turning around. "Go on. I know how you like your privacy."

Without further ado the dog god unleashes large clusters of faeces into the box, sighing in relief at finally being able to release his day's worth of crap. Wiggling his behind to rid his bum of any chocolate excess, Sadaharu trudges towards the Yato, lowering his head to nudge her onto his back.

"Let's go home. If Gin-chan is asleep maybe I can use his parfaits for my hair again. Anego said a lady must always smell delicious!"

With that, Sadaharu hightails it to the Yorozuya house, briefly slowing down for his owner to exchange greetings with a homeless man before running off once more.

"Kagura-chan! Can you tell your pet to stop shitting in my house?! Please?"

* * *

 **Before anyone starts bitching: please don't take offence to the Made in China reference. I'm partially Chinese and if I can handle the insult, I'm sure you guys can too.**

 **If you find errors in this fic do let me know. It's past 3am here and my brain is doing that thing where it doesn't function right and calls longingly for my bed. I'll re-edit parts and fix mistakes later.**

 **Stay golden.**

 **To read the Vietnamese translation for this lesson, copy and paste the link below (add the "https" part at the start and the ".-c-o-m-/" (without the dashes in between) after "wordpress") into your search bar:**

 **ngoaikhoibobiencuathienchua. wordpress 2016/07/08/fic-dich-to%CC%89ng-ho%CC%A3p-thirteenchrysanthemums-gintama-lesson-1234567/**

 **All credit for the translation goes to the lovely Ginoki!**


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